Avatar The Last Airbender The Air Benders Return
by Ladyfire-Azula
Summary: BOOK 4 HARMONY: The War been over for 5 years over, Aang is the last Air Bender, right? Azula has managed to gain her sanity back but she is still haunted by her past, will a certain person be able to help her? Trouble is brewing, yet no one knows of it. Will the gaang be able to stop it? Review please I Do Not Own Avatar The Last Airbender!
1. Prologue

_**Dear Readers, this is my first FanFic.**_

_**I Do Not Own Avatar The Last Airbender, it rightfully belongs to Bryke, but I own Ian and Min**_

_**I hope you enjoy it, I will post at most once a week though I am busy and I might miss a few times.**_

_**Thank you,**_

_**Lady Fire~Azula**_

**Recap: The 100 year War has been over for 5 years.**

**Avatar Aang has defeated Fire lord Ozai and took his bending ****away. Now Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko must balance out the world as best as they can but it might never be the same without the Air Nomads. **

**Azula was sent to an asylum to treat her insanity and just now she was ****released because her mother Ursa helped her gain her sanity back. She is still haunted by her dark past, will someone be able to save her from these constant nightmares?**


	2. The Necklace

_**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA, but I own Ian and Min**_

**"Katara wait up!"**

**Turning, Katara saw Aang jogging towards her and he was closing in quickly.**

**She smirked,**

**"Never!"**

**Katara picked up her skirt and began to run as fast as she could. Most of her speed came from her unusually long legs. But Aang would catch up with her because he was agile and very quick by nature. She stopped to catch her breathe, there is no way she can keep this up, Aang could run for miles without breaking a sweat but Katara, she couldn't run for more then a 1/4 of mile before she collapsed heaving. Running wasn't Katara's strength, water bending was. She smiled. Just as Aang approached the peak of a small hill, Katara froze the ground underneath him, sending Aang sliding backwards down the hill.**

**"Haha, you will never catch me!" Katara shouted.**

**Aang frowned, then gave a devilish grin, he did a front walk over and jumped. Flying high in the air for several seconds, he landed behind her. Before Katara could react, Aang grabbed her wrists and planted a kiss on her forehead.**

**"Ewww, keep your oogies to yourself," someone whined.**

**Katara and Aang looked up, Sokka was heading towards them with Suki trailing behind.**

**"Really Sokka, you and Suki do the ehm, constantly." Katara spit.**

**Sokka's face turned pink.**

**"And to make matters more interesting Sokka…"Aang trailed off.**

**He approached Sokka and stood next to him. Katara and Suki gasped.**

**"I am now taller than you." Aang teased.**

**Sokka's face changed from pink to fire engine red.**

**"You aren't even married to Katara yet, so keep your hands off her until your wedding!"**

**Aang's mischievous smile turned upside down, expressing his irritation.**

**"What about you Sokka, you couldn't keep your hands off Suki for one second during the war, Toph complained constantly, I could even hear you from…"**

**Sokka tackled Aang, trying to cover Aang's mouth from saying another word.**

**"Come on," Suki whispered, "let them steam off."**

**Katara frowned, Sokka was right, why didn't Aang ask her yet, he could have done that two years ago.**

**As if Suki read Katara's mind, she said, "Katara, I am sure Aang is waiting for the right moment to ask you, all these meetings are keeping him busy and you too. Why would he ask you when both of you are constantly tired, I am sure he is going to ask soon."**

**Katara sighed, "I hope you are right Suki, I hope so so dearly."**

**The girls started walking towards the court house for the meeting that would in fact start in 20 minuets. Aang and Sokka were too busy kicking and punching(Aang mostly evading) each other to notice that the reason of their fight just left.**

**"Wait," Aang exclaimed.**

**"Sokka, before we continue our little blitzkrieg, I wanted to show you something!"**

**Sokka seethed, "No show, must beat you up!"**

**Aang grabbed Sokka's hands and looked him in the eye.**

**"I have a betrothal necklace for Katara," Aang hissed.**

**Sokka's eyes widened.**

**"Really? Show!"**

**Aang retrieved a shiny necklace from his robes.**

**Sokka's mouth dropped, It was a design he never saw before and it was beautiful. The necklace had a waxing crescent moon, with a few waves of water and behind the moon, an Air Nomad sign was carved into the white stone. It only emphasized the**

**moon design.**

**"Is it beautiful? I made it myself."**

**"Aang, when are you going to drop the question?" Sokka demanded.**

**"Uhhh, When Katara is not tired, I don't want to overwhelm her." Aang said.**

**Sokka cocked an eyebrow, "Did you ask my da…"**

**"Yes I have, he said that he completely supports this marriage and that I was the right person for her." Aang smiled to himself.**

**Sokka looked up and chocked,**

**"We got to go Aang, we will be late for the meeting."**

**Sokka dragged daydreaming Aang towards the court house.**


	3. What to do with the Air Temples

_**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN ATLA CHARACTERS! I OWN MIN AND IAN**_

** "****Fire Lord Zuko, I ask your permission to obtain the Air Temples for Industrial Purposes and as for payment, your country will receive a third of the profits."**

**Aang's attention snapped, "What!" he thought, "What did he say?"**

**Fire Lord Zuko sent a look at Aang, he realized he missed the entire meeting.**

**Zuko cleared his throat.**

**"****Avatar Aang, I ask for your opinion on giving the Air Temples to McDouge Industries, they belong to your people."**

**"****Sir, I must object." interrupted McDouge **

**"****They belong to the Fire Nation, not to the Avatar…"**

**Zuko sent a stern look at McDouge.**

**Aang's eyes were huge, they were filled with surprise, sadness, anger, and everything in between. **

**Aang looked at Zuko and shook his head. **

**"****Fire Lord Zuko, I disagree with McDouge's offer, I cannot allow my Temples to be destroyed for quote quote, ****_Industrial Purposes._****"**

**Zuko looked back at McDouge.**

**"****I am afraid the Avatar is right, I cannot allow a culture that was debilitated and almost destroyed, thanks to my great-grandfather, become extinct. The Avatar is the last Air Bender, we must help return the Air Nomads so that…"**

**"****Fire Lord Zuko!" shouted the enraged McDouge, "You don't understand, these temples are filled to the brim with natural resources, think of the advances in technology, think of the money, think of the…"**

**"****Order!" bellowed Sokka, "Order!"**

**When everyone calmed down, Sokka continued.**

**"****I stand with the Avatar and the Fire Lord, we must keep the Air Temples till the Air Nomads repopulate," Sokka shot a glance at Katara and Aang, " and fill these Temples once again. The Southern Water Tribe stands with the Fire Lord's, and **

**the Avatar's decision." **

**The entire court was silent, **

**"****End of Meeting!" Zuko called.**

**"****You will regret your decision Fire Lord and Avatar, you will." seethed McDouge**

**Aang rubbed his temples. For a second, Aang thought the Temples would be lost.**

**Katara grabbed Aang's arm and she began to massage it.**

**"****Thanks." Aang murmured.**

**She smiled and walked with Aang to the balcony behind the court house. They stood for several minutes, holding on to each other, not letting go. **

**"****Are you alright?"**

**Aang and Katara whirled around to find Zuko standing at the door way, he had his usual frown yet he still looked concerned.**

**"****We are fine." Katara answered.**

**Aang turned away, looking at the horizon, something was different, he couldn't put his finger on it but something was very different. Aang's eyes narrowed.**

**"****Aang!"**

**Aang turned around, Zuko and Katara stared at him. **

**"****What were you thinking about sweetie, you zoned out completely?"**

**"****I don't know, something is different about today and I can't understand what."**

**Katara looked into Aang's stormy grey eyes trying to interpret his meaning.**

**"****I will leave you be."**

**Zuko turned and walked away leaving Katara and Aang to their own devices.**

**Aang looked into the horizon again. Something was approaching, it was small but it was heading towards him. Katara noticed it too. **

**" ****What is that Aang?" she asked.**

**" ****I don't know."**

**Aang jumped on to the balcony and stretched his neck to have a better look. **

**"****It is a Viper Hawk, it has a note."**

**The hawk landed and stared up at Aang and Katara. Aang gently removed the scroll and patted the Hawks head.**

**"****Good boy"**

**He opened the scroll and read it. He stared at it, read it again.**

**"****What is it Aang?" desperately cried Katara**

**Aang looked up at her, his face paled. His legs seemed to have turned into jello and he collapsed onto the ground looking in to nothingness.**

**"****Aang!"**


	4. The Scroll

_**Disclaimer:I don't own ATLA,**_

** "****Lets pour water over him,"**

**"****Sokka no, that isn't nice."**

**"****Do you have a better idea?"**

**Aang's eyes fluttered, he rubbed the back of his head.**

**"****Are you alright?" a concerned Katara asked.**

**Aang looked up, Katara, Zuko, Sokka, and Suki loomed over him. A dark figure stood at the back of the room, too far for Aang to identify. **

**"****I am fine, just that the note on the Viper Hawk was,… well, so unbelievable that I lost all sense of reality."**

**"****Sweetie, what is in the note?"**

**"****You didn't read it?"**

**"****No."**

**Aang sat up on the couch confused and looked around. He was in his room and the note was crumpled in his fist.**

**He cleared his throat,**

**"****I will read it out loud and you will tell me whether or not we should trust this letter."**

**Aang began to read;**

**_Dear Fire Lord Zuko, and Avatar Aang,_**

**_100 years ago, the Fire Nation tried to annihilate our people, but we survived. The war is over and we ask for our lands to be returned._**

**_The Air Nomads _**

**Aang looked up at the stunned faces.**

**"****So, do you believe this note"**

**"****It is sincere," a voice said.**

**Aang looked up to find a pair of piercing molten gold eyes looking back at him. The figure walked out of the shadow.**

**"****Azula" growled Aang**

**"****Calm down, if I wanted you dead, you wouldn't even have woken up."**

**Aang scowled, the last person whom he wanted to deal with right now was the Fire Princess. She was the only person on the planet whom he truly feared. And to make things worse, Azula knew.**

**Aang shook himself.**

**"****Where is the drawing?" Azula asked.**

**Everyone stared.**

**" ****There is a p.s" Azula said matter-of-factly, pointing at the letter.**

**Everyone remained clueless.**

**"****Now I understand why the war lasted 100 years – a bunch of idiots were fighting," Azula glowered.**

**"****Hey!" Sokka shouted.**

**"****Sokka don't react, she is trying to provoke you." Suki whispered **

**Azula flipped the sheet over.**

**"****Here is the sketch." **

**Aang peered at the sketch, he recognized it immediately.**

**"****It's the Swamp, remember Sokka, Katara, we had visions there, that is where  
>I saw Toph!" <strong>

**Everyone but Sokka and Katara gaped at him. **

**"****Aang, have you been drinking something." Zuko asked, "Like cactus juice?"**

**"****No, I am serious Zuko." replied Aang.**

**"****I think Aang is right" said Katara, "It does look like the Swamp."**

**Azula snatched the paper out of Aang's hand and inspected the sketch. Her eyes became slits.**

**"****There are people disappearing into a giant tree."**

**Everyone crowded around Azula, trying to peak at the people.**

**Aang exclaimed "These are Air Nomads, you can tell from their arrow tattoos."**

**"****Wait a minute," Zuko said, " They are entering some tunnel under the tree."**

**"****When we were at the swamp, there was no passage way in the tree!" shouted Sokka. **

**There was a moment of silence.**

**"****Of course," Katara face palmed herself, "they must have hid the tunnel to keep people from following them."**

**"****But there is a loop hole, wouldn't the Swamp people have noticed a bunch of Air Nomads walking around?" questioned Sokka.**

**"****This happened around 100 years ago Sokka, the Swamp people might have not even been living there yet." Katara uttered.**

**Aang sat down grinning from ear to ear,**

**"****If they are indeed alive, we must find them, come on we should head out tomorrow."**

**Katara smiled, "I am going with you" **

**"****Me too." Sokka and Suki agreed.**

**"****I am afraid I cannot." Zuko sadly replied, " But, Azula can come in my place and she WILL behave. You heard that, Azula?"**

**Azula nodded. Everyone groaned. Azula took a deep breathe and spoke in a calm yet ominous tone.**

** "****I know that during the war, I was a pain in the neck, after that I was metal for four years but I am different now, I am on your side after all."**

**Everyone goggled in surprise, that was not Azula-like at all. Everyone turned to Aang. Aang frowned. After a minute, he looked up seemingly have decided on his response.**

**"****You can join us Azula, but I cannot guarantee your privacy because knowing Katara, she will be watching you like a Fire Hawk." **

**Katara's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe what she just heard. She gave Aang a disapproving glance and headed out with everyone else. Before she could leave, Aang grabbed her wrist.**

**"****I understand you don't trust Azula, I don't either, but we must give her a chance, she may be useful and maybe she will earn our trust just like Zuko."**

**Katara turned to Aang and she nodded her head, **

**"It is your decision Avatar, but I will watch her like a Fire Hawk." **

**Katara strolled out of the room. Aang watched her leave. When the sound of her foot steps trailed off, he started to prepare for the following trip.**


	5. The Transit

_**Disclaimer: No I Don't Own ATLA,**_

**It was a beautiful morning. The sun was rising, making the sky turn pink and orange. **

**The sun it self was a deep shade of yellow and red, appearing like shining gem above the horizon. For the city of Jeyu (Je-ue), it was an almost everyday phenomenon. The large town was surrounded by mountains on three sides and Dau (Da-oo) Lagoon on the fourth. Jeyu was bustling with people, the town was known to get up before the sun rises. The famous sunrise was too beautiful to miss. **

**Aang yawned, part of the night he packed, ready for today's trip to the Swamp. Aang took a look around his room. Staying at an Inn was Katara's idea, and he can see why. The room was very cozy, the walls were colored cocoa brown. The windows and picture frames alined with bright green ribbons and the furniture was burgundy red. Aang's room wasn't too big and he liked it that way. He jumped off the bed and made it. **

**He wanted to leave as little work as possible for the Inn Keeper, he fancied her for her kindness. Aang changed into his everyday robes, went to the bathroom, and he looked in to the mirror.**

**"****Oh, I need to shave." **

**Removing his tool from the soap holder next to the sink, Aang slid the razor over **

**his head.**

**_Knock, Knock_**

**"****Coming."**

**Aang quickly dried his face and head and opened the door. It was Katara.**

**"****Good Morning." **

**"****Good Morning, are you ready to go."**

**"****Yes, I just need to pack one thing and I will come."**

**Katara giggled.**

**"****What?" **

**"****You have some shaving cream on your head."**

**"****Oh."**

**Aang snatched his towel and wiped his head again.**

**"****Better?"**

**"****Much better!"**

**Aang grabbed his bag and followed Katara through the corridor.**

**" ****I guess I overslept?" Aang asked**

**"****Kinda, the excitement and hope must of kept you up late huh."**

**"****No, not really, I think all these years I was in reality holding my breathe, you know,I might have unconsciously known they were alive…"**

**Katara sighed. Is not that Aang really annoyed her, it was just that sometimes he can be so clueless. Katara removed her mother's necklace so that Aang would notice and take the hint, but he didn't notice her at all. He was ranting on and on about the Air Benders. Katara knew she was being selfish. Aang thought his entire culture was destroyed by the Fire Nation and of course he would get all excited if he found out his people survived. But still, Katara felt as if Aang is being taken away from her. What if there was a pretty Air Nomad who would steal his heart, what if Aang lost his feelings for her after finding the Air Nomads, what if…**

**"****Katara, are you okay!"**

**Aang was gently shaking Katara and he looked panicked.**

**" ****Sorry, I was just thinking." Katara muttered **

**Aang furrowed an eyebrow, he knew she was upset about something.**

**"****Do you want to talk about it?"**

**Katara looked in to Aang's dark grey eyes. They were begging her to open up.**

**"****Nothing."**

**Aang didn't look convinced, he knew Katara was lying. But decided not to question her, he will find out soon enough.**

**"****KATARA, AANG, TIME TO GO." someone yelled.**

**Aang took Katara's hand and they took off running towards the voice.**

**Azula watched Aang and Katara run by. She always had the talent of reading people, being able to tell exactly what the person was thinking about. She noticed after Katara left Aang's room, she looked melancholy. Azula knew better then to confront the young Water Bender, her fierce short temper was extremely unpredictable. Azula considered a few theories, Katara was either jealous, or mad at Aang, or both. What would Katara get jealous about? What would Katara get mad about? Her relationship with Aang was near perfection, all is left now is for Aang to propose to Katara to seal the deal. They have been dating for a good five years and they were both ready. Why hasn't Aang propose? **

**Azula strode through the hallway, attempting to understand Katara's mind. Katara was the hardest of the group to comprehend but Azula liked challenges. She was going to face this head on. Azula smirked. Of course, she was happy all day until she heard of the Air Benders, then she was playing happy, in reality she was sad. Why? Azula snapped her fingers, because Aang would be too busy with the Air Nomads then on Katara plus Katara was hoping to be engaged to Aang. So if Aang was too busy for Katara, than Aang cannot propose to her, and if that were to happen, Katara would be a very unhappy camper. How selfish, Azula's smile broadened, Katara was a selfish person. She might have cared that the Air Nomads returned but it was overshadowed by her self-centeredness.**

**"****Azula?"**

**Azula looked up, Zuko was watch her with a concerned look.**

**"****I am fine, I was just thinking…"**

**"****Of a way to hurt my friends?!"**

**"****No of course not, I just was figuring out how Air Benders fly so that I can incorporate that knowledge in my Fire Bending."**

**Azula's lying skills were flawless as usual.**

**Zuko looked unconvinced but he shrugged and left.**

**Azula frowned, she better hurry up or she will miss her flight.**


	6. The Aberration

_**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN ATLA!**_

**Azula approached the Avatar's flying bison. It was big, hairy, and very malodorous. **

**"****How do the Air Nomads ignore the smell, it is making me nauseous!" She muttered.**

**Azula noticed Sokka looking down at her, frowning.**

**"****What took you so long, it is time to leave!"**

**Azula approached the bison's tail to climb up. To her dismay, the bison lifted its tail showing its distaste for her.**

**Azula bit her lip, why must everything be done the hard way. Azula took a few steps back. She began to pick up speed as she ran towards the bison. Suki and Sokka gasped, **

**"****Uh oh!"**

**Azula jumped, her long limbs leaving the ground as she twisted through the air and landed perfectly in the saddle. Brushing off her robes, Azula smirked at Suki and Sokka. **

**"****I would like to see you try that?"**

**"****It would be my pleasure."**

**Azula raised an eyebrow, Katara was beside her, her hands on her hips. **

**Azula gave a one-sided smile.**

**"****Go ahead, do it!"**

**"****We don't have the time," Sokka hissed.**

**"****Good Morning Aang," Suki and Sokka said simultaneously.**

**Aang smiled, **

**"****Good Morning everyone, did you guys sleep well?"**

**Sokka and Suki nodded.**

**Katara rolled her eyes.**

**"****I have my doubts they slept at all."**

**Sokka glared at Katara. Suki laughed.**

**Azula cringed. If this is the only thing she was going to hear through out the trip, she was going to commit suicide.**

**"****Come on, we don't have all day, it will take two days to get to the Swamp without breaks." Sokka whispered, red faced.**

**"****Not gonna happen." everyone else shouted back.**

**"****Lets go already!"**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Katara sighed, they have been flying all day and she was getting very drowsy. To make matters worse, Aang didn't even notice her bare neck, much less get the clue that she wanted to marry him. This fact didn't sit well in Katara's stomach.**

**"****Can we make camp please?" Katara begged, "I am getting very tired."**

**Aang yawned.**

**"****Sure sweetie." **

**Azula rolled her eyes.**

**"****Would you mind and keep your mushiness to your self."**

**Aang stared at her.**

**"****I only called Katara sweetie, I don't see the problem in that."**

**"****Yeah," Sokka disagreed, "You are giving me the oogies!"**

**"****Oh really," Katara demanded, "Like you don't call Suki sweetie ever."**

**"****We are married, we can call each other what ever we want." huff* **

**Azula looked down sympathetically at sleeping Suki.**

**"****I am sorry you have such an idiot for a husband."**

**Sokka glowered at Azula, his mocha skin turning into scarlet.**

**"****I am a good husband! You have no business in our ummm business."**

**"****Way to use the same word twice in one sentence Sokka." teased Katara.**

**"****Har har, very funny."**

**Azula was getting tired of this conversation, why were they so boring.**

**"****I have an idea, let's play a game." She offered.**

**"****What?"**

**Azula placed a finger on her chin as if considering.**

**"****What about, I Never Have."**

**"****Oooh, I love that game!" exclaimed Aang.**

**Katara removed four water bottles from her bag and handed them to Sokka, Azula, and Aang. She left the fourth one to her self. **

**"****So who starts?"**

**"****Me!" Aang waved desperately.**

**"****Ok, I never… met my parents." Aang drank from his bottle, no one else did.**

**"****Katara your next." Aang said.**

**"****hmmm, I never accidentally kissed a girl." Katara, Azula and Sokka drank their water bottles, Aang looked flushed.**

**Katara shot Aang an angry look.**

**"****Who?!"**

**"****Ahhh, ahhhh, next question!"**

**Katara scowled but didn't say anything.**

**Azula cleared her throat, **

**"****I never was outwitted."**

**Azula took a sip from her bottle while everyone watched.**

**Sokka looked unsure.**

**"****I never… never… never…FOUND MY SPACE SWORD!"**

**Suki stirred.**

**"****Well Sokka, so much for caring husband." Katara teased.**

**Sokka threatened Katara with his fist.**

**"****I see a patch of land for camp, it looks quite nice." Aang said.**

**Katara frowned, why do the spirits tempt her this way. It used to be that she was the charming one. She always made Aang blush at her presence, she had the seductive smiles, she had many aspects that would make anyone envy the young Avatar. Now the tables have turned. It was Aang who had the provocative smiles, everyone now envied her for having the Avatar's love. He was beautiful. 6.5 feet tall, lean muscles, straight nose and stormy grey eyes. He had flawless ivory skin, and he looked extremely masculine especially with his trade mark Air Bender Tattoos. **

**As Appa landed at the entrance to a forest, Sokka jumped down.**

**"****Are you just going to leave you ****_wife _****here Sokka!" Aang called.**

**"****I gotta pee!" **

**"****To much information." muttered Aang.**

**Picking up half of the camp supplies, Aang elegantly leaped from the saddle and landed softly on the ground. He started preparing camp. Katara bluntly stated,**

**"****I am going to get some fire wood!"**

**"****Alright, sweetie."**

**Azula shivered in anger.**

**"****Stop calling each other names, it is getting annoying, there are other people here except you!"**

**Aang was aggravated, what was her problem, he has every right to call Katara sweetie.**

**Azula didn't notice or care that Aang was sending her annoyed and provoked stares. She was glad he was mad, it made her feel good.**

**Katara turned on her heels and marched towards Azula, her face curled up in anger.**

** "****You know what, you are jealous, while we have a happy ending, you get tossed into an asylum, while we get the one we love, you are left with nothing. I am actually glad you were left with nothing. It just proved how bad a person you are!"**

**Azula couldn't believe what she was hearing, Katara has offended her so much she wanted her dead. Azula shot out a two fingers, attempting to electrocute the hell out of Katara. But before she could do anything, Aang stepped in front of her. He redirected her lighting and fixed in to her eyes. Azula never felt such fear.**

**"****If you threaten anyone with your bending again, I won't hesitate to remove it! Do you understand!" **

**Azula shuddered.**

**Aang let go of Azula's hands and walked away to finish building camp. Azula felt a sudden urge to cry, she felt so helpless, so angry, so sad, so everything, she needed **

**to leave.**

**She grabbed a bucket.**

**"****I am going to get some water!"**

**Before anyone could respond, she ran as quickly as she could. Don't stop, no stopping, keep running. Don't stop, no stopping, keep running. **

**"****Ahhh!" Azula tripped over a vine and went tumbling down a steep landing. **

**_CRASH_**

**She fell into a hole, her leg felt as if it shattered.**

**"****By Agni, I broke my leg!" She hissed**

**Azula looked around, she was in a trench of some sort, a deep one. she tried to get up but collapsed confirming her suspicions about her leg. Without warning, the realization of what happened at camp dawned on her, now the Avatar has the power to take away bending. She heard of it but never took the rumors seriously. But today's events asserted the gossip and Azula felt scared and lost. She didn't ever feel this helpless since her defeat during Sozin's Comet, when Katara beat her in her own game. **

**"****Don't flatter yourself," something whispered to Azula, "You were never even a player." **

**A lump was in Azula's throat, and everything went black.**

**xxxxxxxxxxx**

**Zuko sat in his desk in the office, it was 8 pm and all Zuko wanted to do was to see Mai.**

**_Knock knock._**

**"****Come in."**

**Mai peeked her head in, black hair glistening. **

**"****Are you done yet?" **

**"****Almost and… Done!"**

**Zuko hopped out of his seat, happy to finally be free, he grabbed Mai's hand and they started to their quarters.**

**"****Fire Lord Zuko?"**

**Zuko turned around, praying it wasn't… never mind.**

**Lawyer Chey was holding a huge stack of papers.**

**"****Fire Lord Zuko, these need to be signed tonight, they have just come."**

**Zuko frowned. He could not spend one moment with Mai without someone **

**disturbing them.**

**"****Alright, I am sorry Mai."**

**Mai groaned, **

**"****Alright, see you in bed."**

**Zuko slapped the papers on his desk, he read the first 20, signed and inspected the last 60 pages. What would happen if he just signed without reading, he would skim yes but not read, what could possible go wrong?**


	7. Bleeding Hog Monkeys

**_Disclaimer: I Don't own ATLA _**

**"****What should we do about her?" a pleasantly masculine voice whispered,"We can't just**

**leave her!"**

**Azula tried to open her eyes but they wouldn't budge, it was as if her body didn't want to take her commands any more. **

**"****Shh, stop being so noisy, you'll wake her." a more feminine voice answered.**

**"****I know, I know, I just pity her, her spirit is badly hurt."**

**"****Yeah, her aura isn't in good shape either.****_(pronounce as ither) _**

**"****Do you have something for her leg?"**

**"****Well, I have a bandage…so…?"**

**"****Just give it to me, we need to reunite her with her group so the water bender can heal her."**

**"****I doubt she would be healing this girl anytime soon, haven't you heard the argument, they aren't exactly friends."**

**"****You think I don't know that?"**

**"****Argh, never mind, so who should go find her friends?"**

**"****You."**

**"****Why me?"**

**"****JUST GO!"**

**There was a strong burst of air and it seemed that the girl has gone. Azula attempted to open her eyes, they refused to yield. She tried to speak but she couldn't. The boy or man sat next to her. He started wrapping her leg in a bandage.**

**"****Wow, you really did break it." he muttered**

**Azula felt sharp jabbing pain in her leg, she wanted to scream but couldn't.**

**"****There, it is done, soon you'll be as good as new." The speaker announced.**

**Azula again tackled the task to open her eyes, she succeeded. She looked at the figure and saw a tall, lean, male. He was dressed in a tight black suit so Azula couldn't identify who he was but there was a feature that sent a shiver down Azula's back. His eyes were molten silver. The boy or man, Azula noted, was still and seemed to be waiting**

**for something. **

**"****COME BACK HERE!" someone shouted.**

**The girl jumped out of the bushes and leapt into the trench. **

**"****Come on!" she hissed.**

**Azula attempted to catch a glimpse of the girl but before she even laid eyes on her, they both ran off in incredible speeds. **

**"****What the…" Azula uttered.**

**Suddenly there was a scream and two figures crashed down on top of Azula. **

**"****BLEEDING HOG MONKEYS!" cursed all three of them.**

**The people jumped off of Azula and gave her a dirty look.**

**"****What are you doing here!" snarled Sokka.**

**"****We were looking all over for you!" gnarled Suki.**

**"****I never knew you cared." Azula replied sarcastically.**

**Sokka and Suki trembled in anger.**

**"****Get Up!"**

**"****I can't."**

**"****WHY!"**

**"****My leg is broken."**

**"****Uha, and I am the Earth King."**

**"****I am absolutely serious."**

**Sokka scowled, he lifted Azula onto his shoulder bridal style but made sure she wasn't at all comfortable.**

**"****So how are you going to climb out if you are carrying me like this?" Azula said.**

**"****I don't care if you fall!"**

**Sokka, while carrying Azula, and Suki barely climbed out of the trench. Azula noticed that the couple had dark circles under their eyes. They must have been searching for a while now. Azula thought. Then it occurred to her, how did that silver eyed boy and girl run so fast. No one ran that fast unless…**

**"****Azula!" **

**Azula nearly fell off of Sokka's shoulder.**

**Katara and Aang both had their hands on their hips, they didn't look pleased. **

**"****What happened!" Katara scolded.**

**"****I broke my leg." stated Azula truthfully **

**"****Really?"**

**"****Yes I have, if you don't believe, take a look your self.**

**"****Put her down!" Katara demanded**

**Sokka violently dropped Azula on the nearest blanket. The impact caused Azula to relive the pain in her broken leg.**

**"****Can't you be more careful!" seethed Azula.**

**"****Why should I." replied Sokka.**

**Katara waved off Sokka and pulled up Azula's pant sleeve.**

**"****Where did you get this bandage?"**

**"****You won't believe me if I told you."**

**"****Try me!"**

**As Katara unwrapped the bandage, Azula recited her story. The only thing she kept out was about the figures running away at unnatural speeds. Aang raised an eyebrow. **

**"****May I see the bandage?" He asked.**

**"****Sure Sweetie." **

**"****OOGIES!" cried Sokka.**

**Katara water whipped Sokka's behind.**

**"****OW!"**

**"****You deserved it!"**

**Aang inspected the bandage. The bandage seemed very strange. There were some sort of designs patterned on them but the moon proved to be an inefficient light source. Aang held up a flame to the paper, attempting to get a better look at it. To Aang's horror, the bandage went on fire before he could decipher anything. **

**"****BLEEDING HOG MONKEYS." he cried in frustration.**

**"****What's wrong?" Katara and Suki asked. **

**"****I lit the bandage on fire when I was trying to inspect the bizarre patterned embroideries **

**on it!" **

**"****Well maybe you should stick to saving the world then starring at absurd designs." mumbled Sokka.**

**Aang glared at Sokka. **

**Suki yawned.**

**"****I'm going to bed, come on Sokka."**

**Sokka obediently followed Suki to their tent but not without a second I-am-watching-you glare shot at Katara and Aang. **

**Katara wiped an eyebrow.**

**"****There, your leg will get better soon. Just don't jump, run, climb, and stay off your leg as much as you can for the next two weeks. I will wrap it in a thick cloth to keep it from hurting. Okay?"**

**"****Yes, Thank you."**

**Katara froze, never had Azula acted so… ****_civil._**** Aang carried Azula into her tent.**

**"****Good night everyone." **

**"****Good Night." Azula and Katara said.**


	8. Gold and Silver

_**Disclaimer: ATLA ISN'T MINE!**_

**"****Azula, I love you." Ursa called.**

**"****No she doesn't, she is weak and so is your brother." shouted Ozai.**

**"****I love Zuko more than I fear you." Mai said.**

**"****You miscalculated, you miscalculated!" They chorused. **

**"****SHUT UP!"**

**Azula shot up in to a sitting position covered in sweat. The dreams, they never left her alone. All she wanted was sleep yet her mind kept her awake. Back in the nut-house, they gave her pills to keep her asleep. The pills almost never worked. She tried to get up but a sheer shock of pain came blasting up her leg.**

**"****Ow!" Azula cursed.**

**She crawled out of the tent and inched to the dying embers. Azula shot out two fingers and relit the wood. The fire was cold blue, heartless and ruthless, much like her self. The dream came back. **

**"****Argh, leave me alone!"**

**She suddenly felt a sick pit in her stomach, a pit of depression, loneliness, fear, and the cold. Even her flame wasn't hot enough to warm her, Azula swallowed her sadness and barely kept her tears at bay. I am so alone, I am so scared, I am so cold, what went wrong! **

**"****WHAT WENT WRONG!" shouted Azula at the sky.**

**No answer.**

**Azula curled in to a fetal position and set her focus on the fire. The fire changed color when she stopped concentrating on it. Now it retained an orange and yellow glow. Azula sent a blue spark at the fire and it turned blue once again. The flames licked the air as if it were trying to burn it. **

**"****Ha, air and fire." Azula muttered.**

**Then the strangest thing happened. The fire became silver, the color reminded Azula of the man who helped her in the woods. Who was he, what is up with his eyes. Suddenly it all made sense. Azula jumped from excitement but fell right back down because of her leg. He was an Air Bender! They ran in unnatural speeds. The girl blasted air to jump out of the trench. There were a few unanswered questions. What in the world were they doing here and why did the man help her! **

**"****Why are you awake!"**

**Azula turned, Katara had her hands crossed and she didn't look too happy.**

**"****I could ask the same thing." **

**"****It is the full moon, nothing much I can do about it."**

**"****Oh, you can't sleep during the whole moon, poor you." **

**Katara stared at Azula, her lips in a straight line.**

**"****Why the sarcasm!?"**

**"****I can't sleep at all, at any night."**

**Katara's eyes softened.**

**"****Why?"**

**"****None of your business."**

**"****I made it mine, while you are with us, your business is our business too."**

**Azula narrowed her eyes, Katara watched her with pity. **

**"****I am fine, I don't need sleep."**

**She laughed, her voice like bells.**

**"****Everyone needs sleep silly."**

**"****I don't"**

**"****Come on, I will help you."**

**"****Why are you trying to help me, you are supposed to hate me?"**

**Katara's face darkened.**

**"****I still hate you but I pity you too, when we fought during Sozin's Comet, you weren't yourself. After I defeated you, you had a mental break down. I still haven't forgiven you for what you done to Aang and nearly to me. But you are hurt inside and I want to see if you were helped, perhaps… perhaps you will change for the better."**

**Azula was thunderstruck, that is not what she was expecting. **

**"****Okay?"**

**They sat in silence starring at the fire before them.**

**_Snap_**

**Azula and Katara shot up from their places.**

**"****Who's there!" Azula commanded.**

**Aang walked out of the shadow.**

**"****Sorry to have disturbed you." **

**Katara smiled.**

**"****Glad you can join us for a midnight party."**

**Aang cracked a grin.**

**"****I thought it was girls only."**

**Azula dragged herself into a standing position.**

**"****I would like to catch some sleep, Good Night."**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Aang yawned, he didn't sleep at all because of his excitement. Katara didn't either and she kept him company. They discussed memories and watched the whole moon in the sky. Yue was doing her job well. They were proud of her. **

**"****So Aang, do you want to help me with breakfast?"**

**"****Of course Katara, but isn't it too early for breakfast?"**

**"****Yes, but the early we go, the earlier we will get to the Swamp."**

**"****Alright!"**

**Aang grabbed a basket and headed towards the woods to scavenge something. Katara snatched the bucket and walked to the river for water. She had the desire to make boiled nut oatmeal for breakfast.**

**Aang strode in the forest. The sun was just beginning to rise and the sky changes from black to purple. He took a deep breathe of fresh air. It smelled of trees and nature. A branch caught Aang's shawl. **

**_RIP_**

**Aang tripped and crashed into a tree.**

**"****Monkey feathers." **

**He rubbed his head when he noticed a hazelnut shell on the soggy ground. He inspected it and looked above. A Hazelnut tree! Aang airbend himself off the ground.**

**"****Havelnuts? Katara's favorite!"**

**He eagerly grabbed the basket he dropped and climbed the ancient tree.**

**_Pluck, Pluck, Pluck_**

**Went the Hazelnuts as Aang tossed them into the basket. The nuts rattled against each other, releasing a pleasant nutty aroma that made his belly growl. Aang grinned at**

**the nuts.**

**"****You smell better then the ones in the market, I guess that is the case because nature made you on its own."**

**Aang gently floated to the ground, he was excited to show Katara of his discovery. **

**Azula roused when the sun touched her face. Her dreams were very strange that night. They weren't nightmares, they were memories.**

**_Flash Back_**

**_Happy Birthday Azula! _**

**_Azula stirred in her bed, birthday or not, she wasn't going to be dragged out of bed regardless of what her mom told her._**

**_"_****_Azula, honey, time to wake up." _**

**_Azula opened one eye, her mother was smiling._**

**_She groaned._**

**_"_****_Do I have to wake up?" She whined _**

**_"_****_Yes sweetie, now up, up."_**

**_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_**

**_"_****_Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Princess Azula, Happy Birthday to you!"_**

**_Everyone cheered as she blew out the candles of her chocolate cake. Chocolate was a delicacy in the Fire Nation. Only on special occasions did anyone including the Royal Family have chocolate. Azula adored chocolate. It was smooth, a bit bitter and very rich. The chocolate always melted in her mouth and sent happy shivers up her back. Her absolute favorite chocolate dish was a Hot Lava Cake. It was the best thing Azula ever tasted. She wished she could have a Hot Lava Cake everyday, but since chocolate was rare, this wish couldn't be granted. Azula smiled as the cake covered in thick dark chocolate was spooned in to her much awaiting mouth. The chocolate was gooey and warm, fresh from the oven. Too soon Azula finished her slice. Even of constant begging, her mother refused to yield to Azula's demand of another slice. She would have to wait for her brother's birthday for another chance with the Hot Lava Cake. Azula jumped off her chair and waddled a bit to the present table. Every year she got the same exact things; Jewelry, clothes, perfume, makeup, hair kits, scrolls of books or fire bending, toys and… A small velvet box with a tag written "To Azula" was at the top of the entire pile of presents. Azula carefully lifted the box and inspected the velvet. The velvet scarlet with Fire Nation insignias and something else. It looked oddly familiar. Azula hesitantly lifted the cover. Inside the box there was a gold and silver locket in a oval shape. The edges were engraved in an unusual style. Azula tried to open the locket but it wouldn't give in. As she lifted the necklace out of the box, on the back of the locket was an engraving._**

**_It shall yield to its other_**

**_Azula only gaped at the inscription, it wasn't signed and what in the world did it mean._**

**_She looked at the designs again. Something clicked and without realizing it, Azula slipped on the locket without hesitation._**

**_End Of Flash Back_**

**Azula slammed her hand to her chest, desperately trying to find the locket. She felt a hard oval shape collide with her shaken fingers. She grabbed the object and stared at it. It was the locket Azula got for her birthday 12 years ago. Why in the world did she remember her six year's birthday. Now all she desired was a Hot Lava Cake. **


	9. The Adventure Continues

_**Disclaimer: BRYKE OWN ATLA, NOT ME!**_

**Sokka groaned. Today's goals; reach the Swamp, keep an eye on Azula, and keep Aang away from Katara.**

**"****You know Suki, I think Azula needs a nickname." Sokka announced to the still sleeping Suki. Suki opened an eye and glared at Sokka. **

**"****You are the smartest husband in the world."**

**"****Why thank you." Sokka puffed up his chest. **

**"****I was being sarcastic."**

**Sokka's smile faded. **

**"****Why is that."**

**"****You woke me up just to tell me Azula needs a nick-name!"**

**"****Oh, sorry."**

**Suki turned away, hoping she could catch a few Z's before having to officially wake up.**

**Sokka crawled out of his blue tent. The morning dew just subsided leaving everything moist and fresh. Sokka gingerly picked a few daisies and placed them outside his tent, hoping to tame the beastly side of his wife. **

**"****Katara, Aang time to wake up!" he called.**

**Silence.**

**"****THEY DID NOT!"**

**"****Not what?" **

**Sokka twisted to see Katara strolling towards him with a bucket of water.**

**"****Where is Aang!" he growled.**

**"****He is in the woods, picking up food for breakfast. I am making oatmeal."**

**"****Yum." mumbled Sokka.**

**He hated oatmeal.**

**"****KATARA!"**

**Aang came running out of the woods. He was dirty and his shawl was ripped. Aang was clasping a basket to his chest as if he was trying to keep the contents from falling out.**

**Katara stifled a giggle.**

**"****Aang, you know better then to come at a girl dirty and wearing ripped clothing.**

**"****Oh, I will change," Aang said excitedly. "But Katara, check what I found!"**

**Katara peaked into the basket and nearly dropped the bucket. She took in the sight**

**in awe.**

**"****Oh Aang, you knew!"**

**Sokka closed his eyes, expecting Aang and Katara to engage in a passionate kiss. **

**"****Why, what a surprise."**

**Suki trotted out of her tent. **

**"****Dirty Aang making out with my sister in-law. Now this is a sight to see." **

**They finally broke away and Katara scooped the hazelnuts and dumped them into **

**the bucket. **

**"****Nuts and oatmeal is for breakfast." she announced.**

**Azula squirmed her way out of the tent just as Katara kissed Aang. Jealousy made room in her already cold heart. Why was she so alone?**

**Azula scanned the outline of the woods, hoping to spot a long enough branch to use as a crutch. Spotting one, Azula rolled down hill and lifted the stick out of the wet leaves. **

**She then climbed back uphill to join the rest of her companions. **

**"****Now Aang, go change your clothing and wash up."**

**"****Alright sweetie."**

**"****OOGIES!"**

**"****Sokka stop, this is getting old." Katara shouted at him.**

**"****At the matter of fact, it got old years ago!" corrected Aang from his tent.**

**"****Change!"**

**"****Ok, calm down, I am changing."**

**Azula smirked, she won't tell the avatar of her discovery, not now at least. **

**"****What are you smirking about Azula?" questioned Suki.**

**"****Your bickering amuses me." lied Azula.**

**Suki didn't give Azula's claim a second thought. It made sense. The quarrels between the siblings was always entertaining to watch.**

**"****Breakfast is served!" **

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**The flight to the Swamp was uneventful. Unless of course you count the occasional fights between Katara and Sokka or the constant chattering of Momo or the random kisses. Azula was silent throughout the ride, her mind contemplating the facts of the night before's meeting with a couple of Air Nomads. She couldn't understand why the man and the women helped her. She was some random stranger stuck in a hole, nothing more. Unless, they wanted something from her but how could they possibly know who she was? She wasn't wearing her title head piece nor royal garments.**

**The Nomads have been hiding under the noses of the Fire Nation and the rest of the world for more then a century, so it is a possibility that they knew who she was. Azula chewed on her necklace, a habit she hasn't had since age six. She moved on to the memory she relived in her dream. The engraving? The engraving! The engraving was the key. What did it mean by "****_It shall expose to its other._****" Expose meant reveal and or open. But what about the part of "****_its other_****." Azula's mind could not make heads or tails to this. It will have to wait till later. Maybe it meant nothing. She remembered just for the sake of remembering. She might never know.**

**"****The Swamp!" yelped Sokka.**

**Everyone peaked over the edge of the flying bison's saddle. The Swamp. It still retained its extremely mystical atmosphere.**

**"****Let's make sure that tornado doesn't pop out at us again." Sokka said as he recalled their previous trip.**

**"****Look, the Banyan-Grove Tree, we're here!" Aang exclaimed.**

**Appa flew directly to the Banyan-Grove Tree. It was as big as ever. The roots still connected into the Swamp reminding Aang of how the Swamp was just one big organism-like the entire world. Suddenly, Aang was overwhelmed by emotions. He desperately tried to keep from crying. Katara placed an understanding hand on Aang's shoulder, it made it even harder to keep his composition.**

**"****It's okay," She whispered, "Cry if you need too."**

**"****Is he alright?" asked a concerned Suki.**

**"****He will be fine." Katara answered "he just needs some time."**

**Aang sniffed and swallowed his emotions. Today was a good day. Today he will finally find home. **

**Appa gently landed in the murky waters of the Swamp. **

**"****Ewww." complained Azula as she waved her hand in front of her nose.**

**"****Yeah, you will get used to it." Sokka said nonchalantly.**

**Aang jumped out of the saddle and gracefully landed on a mound of earth. He removed his boot and stomped his foot onto the mound, his eyes tightly shut, taking in the **

**entire landscape.**

**"****There is a tunnel, just a few meters from here, come along Appa."**

**Appa swam through the fog as Aang leaped back onto the bison.**

**"****Here!" he announced. **

**"****Aang I think you need to get your feet checked, I don't see anything." Katara said.**

**Aang grinned. Taking a stance, Aang waterbended the vines to reveal a dark cave. **

**"****As you were saying?" he teased.**

**Appa let out a soft growl.**

**"****Oh, I forgot, Appa hates tunnels."**

**Aang whispered something into the bison's ear and the bison shook his head. The Avatar tapped his chin and brightened. He again murmured something into the bison's ear. Appa seemed to consider. **

**"****Alright Appa, yip yip."**

**Appa flew in to the tunnel without looking back. Momo didn't like the bison's decision but went with his master anyway. They flew what felt like hours until Appa landed onto the dry earth exhausted. **

**Everyone grabbed their bags and jumped off. Azula worked on the camp fire while Katara and Suki went out looking for water, Sokka and Aang remained to make camp. It was dark in the tunnels but the Gaang eventually got accustomed to the dark. **

**"****We found water!" cheerfully announced the girls when they returned from **

**their mini-adventure. **

**"****That's great!" **

**The fire and tents were done and Aang and Azula were going through the food baggage while Sokka warmed himself. Katara stared dinner while everyone pitched in.**

**"****This feels just like old times." Sokka said, smiling to himself.**

**"****Ya, except we aren't having a crazy princess and an honor-deprived prince running after us!" **

**Everyone laughed. **

**Aang was too busy to pay any heed to the conversation going between his friends. **

**He was trying to figure out how has his life taken such a turn. He was in the Southern Air Temple with Monk Gyasto, living a quiet and happy life. Then he found out he was the Avatar and everything changed. But it was for the better. He met the love of his life, he made new friends and he stopped a war at age 12. Gyasto would be proud… **

**"****Aang?"**

**Aang shifted a bit and saw Katara. The yellow glow of the fire reflected in Katara's blue eyes, her mocha skin shiny from perspiration. **

**"****Yes?"**

**"****May I join you?"**

**"****Sure, I don't mind." **

**Katara sat down next to Aang. Her chocolate hair softly tickling Aang's arm. He desperately wanted to ask Katara to marry him but something was telling him to wait. **

**A voice whispered to him that the right moment was almost upon them. Just wait.**


	10. Miracles

_**Disclaimer: No!**_

**Suki stared at the bare ceiling for about an hour. She has awoken a long time ago but decided against waking anyone else. Getting bored, Suki quietly sat up in the dark. It was cold and damp. The fire has died out leaving only smoking embers. Suki picked up a stick and stirred the cinders. There was some glare of a fire but it had no fuel to burn. It didn't matter to Suki, all she wanted was to get warm.**

**"****So, you're awake as well."**

**Startled, Suki whirled around to see a limping figure cautiously lumber towards her. Even in Azula's worst form, she still had a sense of gracefulness.**

**Limping didn't change that fact. **

**"****Yes, why are you awake?" Suki asked.**

**Azula didn't answer, even though it was dark, Suki can clearly see the blue circles under the princess eyes. They didn't say anything to each other for a minute.**

**"****I'll get some fire wood." Suki excused herself.**

**Azula nodded. She was getting tired of these nightmares. She was already suffering from insomnia and the nightmares weren't helping. **

**"****GAAAAHHH!"**

**Azula leaped to her feet and collapsed. Because of her foolishness, Azula's injured leg began to throb painfully again.**

**"****What's wrong?" Suki cried desperately.**

**"****I had a nightmare." whimpered Sokka.**

**"****What happened?"**

**"****There was no meat."**

**Azula was flabbergasted, that what was Sokka's nightmare all about—no meat!**

**Suki rolled her eyes and approached Sokka with some seal jerky.**

**"****Here, you see, we have plenty of meat."**

**Sokka gobbled up the jerky and fell right back down snoring loudly.**

**"****How do you put up with him?" Azula shakes her head.**

**"****Don't know, I think he's sweet." **

**Azula rolled her eyes.**

**"****So did everyone have a good night sleep?" **

**Suki shrieked and Azula let out a yelp. **

**"****Wow, I seriously scared you, didn't I?"**

**Aang walked into the dim light. His eyes twinkled with amusement. Azula growled,**

**"****Can you stop creeping up on people like that, it's getting annoying."**

**Aang only shrugged, smiling apologetically.**

**"****Sweetie, why is it so dark?" Katara mumbled as she rubbed her eyes.**

**"****We are in the tunnels remember?" **

**"****Oh, right."**

**Aang helped Katara up. **

**"****Well, it looks like we are all up, except Sokka." Aang pointed out, grinning.**

**"****SOKKA, WAKE UP, THERE IS A COBRAPEDE ON YOUR SLEEPING BAG!" Aang shouted at the top of his lungs. Momo and Appa stirred. Sokka snored**

**as if nothing happened.**

**Katara grabbed the remaining water in her pouch and splashed it on Sokka's face. **

**No reaction. Suki landed a kiss on Sokka. Sokka continued to snore. Everyone danced around him, shaking, tickling, splashing water on him, yelling in his ears. **

**Even Appa was awake growling from all the noise. Azula remained seated on a stone, she barely stifled her laughter as the attempts to awaken Sokka grew more ridicules.**

**Azula finally lost her patience.**

**"****STOP IT!" **

**Everyone froze on the spot. Aang held Sokka by his feet trying to shake him out of his sleeping bag, while Katara was stuffing ice cubes up his shirt. Azula limply strode over to the stubborn sleeper. Without warning, she landed a full blown punch powered by fire bending at Sokka's stomach.**

**"****YEOOOWWWW!" **

**Aang accidentally dropped Sokka and he fell on his face. He flopped over and glared.**

**"****WHO DISTURBS MY SANCTUARY!"**

**"****Sokka, you don't have a sanctuary." Katara dully commented.**

**"****WELL, WHO DARED PUNCH ME OUT OF MY SANCTUARY!" **

**"****YOU DON"T HAVE A SANCTUARY SOKKA!" shouted back Katara.**

**"****Ok guys, it's not the time to fight, time to…"**

**Before Aang could finish his sentence, Appa sneezed throwing everyone back **

**several feet.**

**"****Oh no," Aang cried out, "Appa caught the bison's cough!"**

**"****Appa caught what!" everyone shouted.**

**"****A cold or also known as bison cough, when bison's get too cold, they start to sneeze. **

**It is very dangerous to be around a sick bison, they can throw you over the edge **

**of a mountain."**

**"****Well, what can be done about it?" Suki asked Aang.**

**Aang rubbed the back of his neck, as he usually did when he was embarrassed or thinking hard.**

**"****Usually we'd place the sick bison in a special room where it is really warm. After an hour, the bison sweats the disease out and he is fine."**

**"****We don't have access to such a luxury sweetie." Katara pointed out.**

**Sokka's eyes lit up. **

**"****I have an idea, why we make a bon fire while Katara heals Appa?" **

**"****That's a great idea but where will we find all the fuel." Katara asked.**

**"****On our way here, I spotted a few dried out weeds," Suki said, "I don't know **

**if it will be enough…"**

**"****We don't need a lot of fuel." Azula stated. **

**Everyone turned to look at her.**

**"****I can make the fire blue which is 10 times hotter then regular fire and requires the same amount of fuel." **

**Everyone nodded in agreement. **

**"****Let's get to it!" **

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Suki, and Sokka set out to find dried weeds; Aang went to get water; and Katara and Azula stayed to help Appa. Momo lazily slept in Appa's saddle, while Katara was healing Appa. Azula sat near the fire concentrating in attempt to keep the fire in its blue shade. Katara and Azula made no effort in making a conversation, **

**both working hard on their tasks. **

**Suddenly, Azula caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. Her amber eyes narrowed, what was that?**

**"****I need to relieve myself, I'll be back in a second." **

**Azula jogged away opposite of the source of her suspicions. **

**"****Hi!"**

**Katara looked up. Aang has come with four full buckets of water. His muscles clenched from the weight he was carrying and his shirt clung to his chest from the **

**occasional spills. Katara couldn't help but blush. **

**"****Where's Azula?" asked Aang.**

**"****She went to relieve herself."**

**The look of sheer disgust on Aang's face made Katara laugh. Aang joined in and they laughed for at least a minuet. Appa let out a snort that starting back up the laughing. **

**"****OW!"**

**A figure in black jumped out of the shadows followed shortly by Azula.**

**"****Get her!" she shouted.**

**The figure attempted to run but Aang earth bent cuffs on to the figures feet, keeping her from moving anywhere. The figure fell forward but Aang caught her. Azula approached the figure, her eyes daggers. Aang felt a shiver come up his spine.**

**"****WHO ARE YOU AND WHY WERE YOU SPYING ON US!" She hissed loudly.**

**The figure didn't answer, she had her head cast down. Azula leaned forward to get a good look at the girls features but the girl turned the other way. Katara jumped down from Appa and ran towards the girl.**

**"****Azula, why did you burn her!" she scolded.**

**"****That was the only way I could get her out of the shadows." **

**Azula retorted monotonically. **

**Katara scowled and began to heal the poor girl's side where Azula burned her. **

**"****What's going on?" Sokka and Suki came running, they were holding over two stacks of dried sticks and weeds. **

**"****She was snooping around and she won't say why. She might be a thief." replied Azula.**

**To Azula's surprise, no one glowered at her. **

**"****Ok, so what do we do about her?" Suki asked.**

**"****We tie her up and…" Sokka trailed off.**

**"****She must have friends," assumed Azula, " If she doesn't go back soon, they will **

**come after her."**

**"****Isn't that something we should avoid?" Aang watched the girl curiously.**

**"****Maybe not," smirked Azula, "Maybe they should come after her and we can question them on what brings them to these tunnels. We are few of the most powerful people on the planet, a few thieves shouldn't be a problem." **

**The girl's eyes grew wide, her brother…**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A young man stood at the entrance of the tunnel. His eyes desperately searching for the familiar face of his sister. She was supposed to come back two hours ago, something must be wrong. **

**"****Hey, Ian!" (i****_yan)_**

**The young man jumped. Dye, his sister's best friend, walk up towards him, his face filled with worry.**

**"****She hasn't returned yet, I am going after her."**

**Dye's eyes became saucers.**

**"****Can I come with you?"**

**Ian shook his head, Dye's eyes fell.**

**"****It's too dangerous, we don't know who these people are, they might have Min."**

**Dye nodded, he tossed a package to Ian. **

**"****Put this on." **

**Ian struggled to slip himself in the dark two piece. Ian smiled at Dye and ran into**

**the dark.**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Min struggled in her ropes. Why was she so bad at hiding, she always was the first one caught in hide-and-seek. The people who she was prying on have caught her and tied her up. Min barely recognized the girl in the woods. She helped her and this is how she repays? Min face palmed herself with her arm, she couldn't have known, she was asleep. Min tried the ropes again, bending was a bad idea, they were forbidden to do so out of home. **

**"****Min?" someone whispered.**

**Min turned her head slightly and nearly cried from delight. Her brother has come to save her. Ian removed a pocket knife and gently cut the ropes. It was fortunate that the entire group of strangers were distracted or they would have caught him too. **

**Azula was concentrating on the fire when she heard the sound of cutting. Azula sent a glance at the girl and to her astonishment, someone was cutting the ropes. Before she could even get up, the girl jumped and the figures began running deeper into the tunnel.**

**"****STOP!" Azula shouted as she sent a fire ball in front of them. As soon as the fire landed in front of the figures, it exploded into a giant bonfire, trapping the figures and blocking the exit. The figures whirled around in fighting stances. Large claws popped out of the girls sleeves and for the other person, who was a boy, he clenched his fists. **

**The entire Gaang ran up and sided with Azula. The boys eyes widened under the cloth, it was the Avatar. He sent a glance to his sister. She returned his gaze. **

**Ian held up a hand.**

**"****Stop!"**

**Ian and Min grabbed their dark hoods and pulled back. **


	11. History

_**Disclaimer; NO!**_

**Aang stared, impossible! Impossible! He grabbed Katara, desperately trying to hold on to her to keep himself from fainting. Azula's jaw dropped. It was him, it was the man who helped her in the woods and he was an Air Bender. She was right!**

**Two air bending masters stood before them, their bizarre silver eyes gleaming from the dancing Azure flames. Aang extinguished the fire. Without a word, he handed a note to the two airbenders. The man who looked about 18, took the note and skimmed through it. He nodded his head towards the young Avatar. **

**"****My name is Ian and this is…"**

**"****Min."**

**Aang smiled.**

**"****My name is Aang and this is Katara."**

**Katara cleared her throat.**

**"****My girlfriend Katara."**

**"****I'm Sokka and this is my wife…"**

**"****Suki, I am Suki, it is so nice to see you, sorry for holding your girlfriend hostage."**

**Ian and Min eyeballed each other and Min scooted away from Ian, her face scrunched up in disgust. Suki looked confused.**

**"****We are siblings." Ian warily replied.**

**"****Ohhhh, so sorry." Suki laughed nervously.**

**Azula stood at the back of the crowd, uninterested in the current conversation. She turned on her heels and headed back to camp. The only things that engrossed her was how they survived the genocide and how could they read in the dark. **

**"****And that is Azula, she uhhh well let's say she is representing her**

**brother Firelord Zuko."**

**Azula whirled around, her jaw clenched.**

**"****Excuse me, I am more then just a representative, I am a princess!"**

**Everyone took a step back. Sokka whispered to Suki,**

**"****Who is worse, my sister or Azula?"**

**Suki shrugged.**

**Ian watched Azula, something about her seemed eerily familiar. His eyes enlarged. It was the girl he and his sister found in a ditch! She was a Fire Nation Princess? But how? She looked like she went through a mental break down. Ian bit his lip, maybe she tripped and hit her head.**

**"****So where do you live?" **

**Ian gyrated to the Avatar. **

**"****We live in what we call ****_The Hidden Temple_****, you guys look like you need some light, come with us."**

**Aang tilted his head towards his bison,**

**"****He is sick with Bison's Cough, we can't go anywhere."**

**"****You are less then a mile from the Temple."**

**Aang's eyes lit up.**

**"****Come on guys. Ian invited us to the Temple."**

**Everyone immediately ran towards camp to pack up. Who knew what adventures would come in the forever forbidden Air Temple?**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**As the Gaang packed, Ian gave a brief history on how the Air Nomads escaped**

**their fate.**

**"****When the young Avatar disappeared, there were search parties everywhere. Everyone was looking for him until a group from the Western Air Temple spotted something that bumped the Avatar down from the spot of absolute priority."**

**Everyone stared at Ian, Azula found his story extremely intriguing, she noted that he was an excellent story teller, also possibly a decent liar. **

**"****What happened next?" Suki whispered.**

**The fire flickered causing the reflexion in Ian's silver eyes to appear mysterious**

**and intimidating. **

**"****They spotted an entire Fire Nation Fleet, just a month before the comet." his sing-song voice lowered an octave, chills went up everyones spines.**

**Azula felt a stir of true fear in her stomach, she ached to know what happened next. Katara was shaking, not from the cold but from fright, the dark tunnels only worsened her symptoms. Aang noticed Katara's trembling. He gingerly tapped her shoulder. The water bender violently turned around to see Aang's eyes glittering, **

**he looked frighted as well. **

** "****They sent a master by the name of Alya (****_pronounced as Ulueya) _**** to spy on the Fire Nation and she heard the drastic news. About the genocide and about the traps in the aftermath. Rushing back to her group, Alya told the monks that they needed to warm everybody and they needed to evacuate the Air Temples. They managed to warn their home and the Northern Air Temple. The group that was to warn the others, never made it. No one knows what happened to them." Ian paused to allow the fact to sink in. He grinned at them showing off pearl white straight teeth. **

** "****A monk by the name Diwa (****_Dyva) _****had a dream of the Air Nomads walking into the Swamp, into the Banyon-Grove Tree to safety. He shared his dream and everyone in the Northern and Western Air Temples dropped everything and flew straight to the Swamp, they flew by night and hid by day. When they arrived, Monk Diwa lead the Air Nomads through these tunnels and to an open space with its own Day and Night that corresponds with the world above." He paused again, his eyes softening. **

** "****We worked everyday to build a temple, to build a self sustaining world where we only had too occasionally ventured outside, just to see what was going on. We had problems, like we always desired to move around but we had to settle not knowing how long we had to wait for the Avatar's return." **

**"****Why didn't you reveal yourself five years ago when the world was saved?" **

**asked Sokka.**

**Ian glanced at his sister.**

**"****The world was not ready for the Air Benders to return." Min gleamed **

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Azula couldn't believe it, they have been walking for what felt like hours with a bunch of breaks because the fluffy stink monster caught a cold. To feed her curiosity, Azula decided to approach Ian and see if her suspicions were indeed correct regardless if she recognized him or not. Azula quietly crept up to Ian while he was watching his sister rub the sick bison's nose. **

**"****Why did you help me!" Azula commanded.**

**Taken absolutely by surprise Ian jumped two feet into the air, a small squeak escaping his lips.**

**"****Wwhat?" **

**"****Why did you help me when I fell into a hole?"**

**"****What made you think it was me?" Ian raised an eyebrow.**

**"****You just admitted it." Azula placed her hands on her hips.**

**Ian's eyes widened.**

**"****It was you?" Ian cautiously asked.**

**"****No, I was making up a story." Azula muttered sarcastically.**

**"****No need for the sarcasm, yes I guess it was Min and I."**

**"****But why?" **

**Ian tapped his chin. **

**"****Because I wanted to."**

**Azula glared at him, as if it was unheard of. **

**"****Were you expecting a different answer?" a knowing smile broke through.**

**Azula's mouth twisted, she suddenly despised him because… because…**

**"****Are you alright?" Ian asked as he noted the sudden change in the young **

**fire benders features. **

**"****I am fine, thank you." Azula hissed.**

**"****You are lying." Ian said before he could stop himself. **

**Azula froze. Regaining her composition, she said,**

**"****Where did you get that idea?"**

**"****You started talking too formally, and your irises expanded which often is **

**a result of lying."**

**Azula was thunderstruck.**

**"****Impossible, I am an excellent liar, I fooled Toph Beifong, a lie detecter in her own right. And another thing, how can you see in the dark, you read the Avatar's letter and it was dark enough for even I couldn't read it?"**

**Ian sniggered.**

**"****For your first question, I am extremely observant and I can read people very well. **

**For your second question, it is all about genetics." **

**Azula's face was blank.**

**"****I will explain to you what it is later but living the hundred years in a hidden Air Temple, we had to have the ability to see in the dark thus resulting our strength in Rod Cells. **

**It what makes our eyes silver. We can still see in the light just as well as any other person but we can see colors in the dark."**

**Azula nodded, she understood except one thing.**

**"****What are Rod Cells?"**

**"****Cells that allow us to see in the dark, and cells are the living building blocks of life."**

**Azula's golden eyes were filled with awe and fascination.**

**"****When we get home, I will be more then happy to show you the library where we keep all the information about well, everything." Ian chuckled**

**Azula smiled slightly, Ian watched her intently.**

**He had to admit to himself that she was very pretty.**


	12. The Hidden Air Temple

_**Disclaimer:Seriously!?**_

**"****Here we are!" announced Min.**

**Everyone just stared at her, was she crazy? **

**Ian (****_iyane)_**** and Min laughed. **

**"****You see, even if we do cover our tracks, someone might just spot us and follow us. **

**So we have a defense system. This is a gate, only accessible by air bending."**

**Ian approached the right side of the tunnel. He took a deep breathe and slammed his palm into a small crack. There was rolling noise and a release. The rocky dead-end split in half just like a light caught the group by surprise, everyone flinched and turned away. Aang carefully looked back and gasped, an Air Temple stood on a mountain top. The huge towers were about 70 meters high. The roofs were Persian blue and the shape was in the familiar mokoshi. Air Benders circled around the towers in their trade mark orange gliders, like flies around a honey jar. A few bison drifted from tree to tree in a mystical forest that lay beyond the Temple and laughter was heard from every corner. Aang noticed that they were standing on the edge of a cliff, there was no bridge leading to the Temple. **

**"****This is amazing!" Katara exclaimed.**

**"****Just wow." agreed Sokka.**

**Appa roared in delight even Momo seemed to comply with the majority.**

**Azula couldn't believe her eyes, this must be what the Air Temples looked like in their former glory, yet Firelord Sozin tried to destroy this and he nearly succeeded. Why?**

**She recalled her history lessons; "Firelord Sozin destroyed the Air Nomad armies… He was attempting to cleanse the world of the weak and the weakest were the Air Nomads…The lazy Air Nation never attempted to help anyone, especially **

**during crisis, instead they escaped to their secret hide out…"**

**Azula approached Ian.**

**"****Mmhm" She cleared her throat.**

**Ian turned to her, eye brows raised.**

**"****Where are the armies?"**

**Ian just stared at her, he cracked an amused grin.**

**"****So what is the Fire Nation's view about us?"**

**"****You haven't answered my question."**

**"****I don't need to."**

**Azula glared at him, her irises shrinking with anger but Ian chuckled.**

**"****We have no armies, and we never had any, since we are a peaceful nation, fighting is not our motto." **

**"****So, what I learned in the Fire Nation School was all lies."**

**"****Yes. Propaganda." **

**Azula felt a surge of guilt, she recalled a time where she bombed an Air Temple in celebration of becoming an only child. **

**"****How do we get to the Temple?" Sokka asked, disrupting Azula's line of thoughts.**

**"****Hmm" Ian tapped his chin. Azula noted this as a gesture of being deeply in thought.**

**"****Maybe we can ride Avatar Aang's bison?" Min sarcastically offered.**

**"****Please, just call me Aang." **

**Min waved her hand dismissing him. Appa grunted, as if he agreed with Min's idea. **

**"****I think Appa can make it, right buddy,"**

**Appa snorted.**

**Everyone hopped on Appa and the determined bison took off towards the Air Temple.**

**xxxxxxxxx**

**Unfortunately, Appa crash-landed onto the deck at the entrance to the Air Temple. The Air Benders who happened to be on the deck, were thrown off the edge but to the Gaang's surprise, no one dived after them.**

**"****Why isn't anyone helping them?" horrified Katara cried.**

**Aang snatched his glider preparing to fly after them but the Air Benders simply opened their own gliders and flew back on to the deck. A nun rushed towards them, her face crinkled with displeasure.**

**"****Ian, Min, please explain why you brought outsiders here!"**

**Min opened her mouth to explain but Ian shushed her, he removed the letter from his cloak and handed it to the nun. She skimmed through and nodded her head at the Gaang.**

**"****Welcome to the Hidden Air Temple, my name is Ali(****_Aulie) _****and we are honored to greet the Avatar and his friends here. Follow me please."**

**"****Nun Ali,"Aang bowed, "I am very sorry but my bison Appa has the cough and…"**

**Nun Ali grinned, "Don't worry, we will take care of your bison."**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Everyone followed the Nun into the Air Temple. The sights inside shocked the group. The hallways were extensively decorated portraying the Air Nomad's history, stained glass lined the windows featuring characteristic nomadic art and soft yellow carpet lined the floor. Katara was taken aback, this was more beautiful then the Western Air Temple. Aang also couldn't believe his eyes, the Air Nomads were alive and well, and they were flourishing under the grim circumstances. This fact gave Aang art especially surprised Sokka, he wished dearly that he could draw like that. Maybe the Air Nomads would teach him. Suki watched the faces of her companions, they all looked like kids in a candy shop, especially Aang who looked like he won the lottery. Nun Ali led the group through several hallways then she stopped.**

**"****In that next room, the head monks and nuns are waiting. Just show them your letter." **

**Ali turned to Ian and Min.**

**"****Afterwards Monk Ian and Min will give you a tour of the grounds, **

**I have to leave, goodbye."**

**Everyone bowed to Nun Ali, Aang grabbed Katara's hand and Ian led them into **

**the next room.**

**"****Well, we were expecting the Avatar to arrive this week."**

**The Gaang faced four people, two of each gender and all in their ripe old age.**

**They were wearing orange and red robes, wooden necklaces, and all had the familiar arrow on their foreheads. Everyone bowed to them except Azula, Min glared at her, but the head monk waved her off as if understanding that Azula wouldn't yield. Without a word, Ian handed the letter to the head monk but he refused it.**

**"****No need, we sent the letter and we are glad you've come. Now, I assume we have a few things to discuss?"**

**"****Yes Monk uhhh…" Aang trailed off.**

**"****Oh, we forgot to introduce ourselves. My name is Monk Hive, this is Nun Deo(****_Deow)_**

**and this is Monk Jigsaw, and Nun Aluisha."**

**Azula barely stifled a giggle. The Monks had funny names.**

**"****Well, Firelord Zuko said that if the Air Nomads are alive, he'd be more then happy to give the Temples back to you."**

**"****Of course, Firelord Zuko seems like great man. Enjoy your stay Avatar Aang and your bison will be taken care of."**

**"****Thank you very much Monk Hive and Nun Deo and…"**

**Azula couldn't help it, she doubled over laughing hysterically. Everyone in the entire room stared at her as if she lost her mind. That only made her laugh harder. Surprisingly the Head Monks and Nuns began laughing as well, soon everyone joined in laughing like maniacs. **

**"****Ok, ok," Monk Hive teary eyed heaved out, "Min and Monk Ian, please show our guests to their chambers."**

**"****Come on laugh bugs, let me show you to your rooms."**

**"****Don't call our guests names Min." Ian scolded.**

**"****Whatever." Min rolled her eyes. **

**The Gaang marched after Min, Ian trailed behind. Azula halted.**

**"****Why do they call you Monk?" she asked.**

**"****Because I am training to become one."**

**"****Oh." **

**Min stopped in front of two dividing hallways.**

**"****Ok, girls follow me, boys follow Ian. No boys allowed in the Girls chamber and no girls allowed in the Boys chamber. No shenanigans allowed, married couples or not. If you want to," Min cleared her throat, "There is a housing made for such ****_things, _****up on the hill at the west wing." **

**Sokka blushed. **

**The girls followed Min into the right wing while Sokka and Aang followed **

**Ian to the left. **

**"****This will be your room Aang, and here is your room Sokka, your luggage will be brought to your rooms momentary. You can tour this wing but meet me at the entrance," Ian pointed at the blue double doors, "In 15 minutes, we are going for a tour."**

**Min led the girls to their rooms.**

**"****Katara, here is your room, Azula yours, and Suki you are here. Please meet us at the entrance in 15. Oh and your stuff will arrive in a few minutes, feel free to wander around." Min skipped off as Azula entered her room. The room was painted blue with white Air Nomad insignias, with a white wooden closet. She swung it open,**

**the closet was about 50 inches wide and 75 inches tall with drawers and hangers. **

**She shut the closet door and inspected the bed. It defiantly didn't come close to the beds back at the Fire Nation; the mattress was not thick or fluffy, instead it was rock hard, but to Azula's surprise, very comfortable. The pillows were simply rolls of colored fabric unlike the stuffed goose feather pillows Azula was accustomed to. The bed itself was a shade of orange and yellow. She gingerly brushed the fabric, it was soft between her fingers, almost like silk. Carefully climbing out of the bed, she opened the door to possibly, the bathroom. The sight shocked her. There was something of a shiny white basin with a lid and a handle, and glass doors. When she opened them, found a spout and another handle at the bottom with one side colored blue and the other red. In the cupboards opposite of the spout stood three glass bottles, labeled Shampoo, Conditioner, and Body Wash. Azula caressed the walls. The light blue tiles were engraved in unusual designs, seemed very familiar. Azula shut the glass door and strolled over to two large double doors outlined in orange and red stained glass. This wasn't the luxury of the Royal Palace but, it was very nice. She swung open the doors and took a step back. The doors led to a balcony made of pure white stone that sparkled in the light. Stepping outside, Azula was greeted by a mild breeze that smelled of cooked sugar. Azula turned and woods, which she spotted earlier spread out before her, but that was not what took Azula's breathe away, the woods cut off to a giant cliff with a beautiful waterfall. The red and orange cliff reminded her of the sunrise and sunset back in the Fire Nation. Azula never payed any attention to nature but this was the view she couldn't ignore. She felt an empty pit in her stomach. If her father had won the war, he would have one day found them and destroyed this marvelous place. **

**"****You can't hide forever." She murmured. **

**Azula never felt this guilty in her life, she was a pawn, a pawn in her fathers demented mind game. She ran out from the balcony, fearing she might lose control, it was probably time to meet her tour guides anyway.**


	13. Tours

**Disclaimer: !**

**Sokka stared at sight before him. What was this magic? He couldn't stop pushing the handle of the strange white pot. He had to show Aang.**

**"****AANG! COME HERE, CHECK OUT THIS FLUSHY POT!" **

**To his surprise and embarrassment, Ian walked in, he had a frown on his face.**

**"****Can you please stop flushing the toilet, we don't have unlimited supplies of water."**

**Sokka felt his neck heat up.**

**"****Sorry, uh what is a toilet."**

**"****A toilet is like a chamber pot except you push a handle for it to clean itself."**

**"****Oh, what is a water spout doing in there?"**

**Ian pointed at a different handle which Sokka hadn't noticed.**

**"****This is a shower, it's how we wash," Ian pulled at the handle, water sprayed out." This handle can help you change the temperature of the water. Blue is for cold and **

**red is for hot. The shaving creme is right here, and I assume you have a razor? Since you have some hair, you'll need the Shampoo and Conditioner.**

**Sokka's face was blank.**

**"****What you wash your hair with, but your friend won't need it though." smirked Ian.**

**Sokka laughed "Thanks, I wonder if Suki will enjoy this?" **

**"****Trust me, she'll love it."**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Suki gaped at the glass bottles on the cup boards. What was this stuff? The names didn't seem familiar and Suki didn't know where Min went, so it was obvious that she would need to figure it out on her own. She grabbed the bottles and placed them on the counter surrounding the sink. She carefully popped open the lid that said ****_Shampoo _****and gave it a sniff. It smelled wonderfully, like the rose petal pies her grandmother used to make. She gently poured a bit of the substance onto her hand, it was honey yellow and it felt gooey between her fingers. Without much thought, Suki licked the substance only to spit it out.**

**"****Yuck! It tastes like soap!"**

**Suki froze, maybe that was it, this stuff was soap, but for what? She washed off her hand, and screwed open the next bottle. This bottle was flat, like a can except made of glass. The stuff inside was white,**

**"****Like snow." she whispered.**

**Suki inhaled the fruity aroma. Where had she smelled this before? Suki impatiently snapped her fingers, she knew what this was, she knew…**

**"****COCONUTS!" **

**Suki couldn't believe it, coconuts were extremely rare and they only grew in the Fire Nation. She touched the white creme, it was oily and when she washed her hands, it left them felling smooth and soft. Suddenly, it hit her, what if this stuff was to be used on your hair! Suki recalled the aroma coming off Min when her hair brushed against her. She gave herself a pat on the back and decided to meet up with the **

**rest of her companions.**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**"****Ok guys," Min announced," I hope you enjoyed your rooms, bathrooms included. The strange shiny pot like thing in your bathroom, that is in fact a self cleaning chamber pot. The glass doors and spout thingy is a shower, and some of you noticed a few bottles, the Shampoo and Conditioner are for your hair, the body wash is obviously for your body. Oh and by the way, the handle can be tilted any direction, right is cold, left is hot. Clear on that!" **

**Everyone nodded. **

**"****Lets split you guys into two groups, Ian, you will take Sokka, Suki and Azula, and I will take everyone else." **

**Azula scowled, she was stuck with the love birds. Though she had to admit they weren't nearly as bad as the water tribe peasant and the Avatar; those two were disgusting. **

**Ian patiently waited for Azula, who didn't look too happy. He tilted his head and recognized the all too familiar sparks in her eyes—Envy. **

**"****Are you coming with us Azula?" Ian asked.**

**Startled, Azula waved her head around to find a pair of silver eyes looking down at her. For the first time, she realized that he was a good seven inches taller then she. **

**"****Umm, Azula?"**

**"****Right." Azula marched off.**

**Ian shrugged and followed the strange princess.**

**"****We begin our tour, in the court yard."**

**Azula stood on her toes to peak into the noisy courtyard. Air Benders were everywhere, one group was off to the side meditating, another was playing with the lemurs. Suddenly out of no where, flying fruit pies attacked the meditating group. The group screamed. Azula and her companions howled like maniacs, even Ian tumbled over clutching his stomach. The lead monk glared disapprovingly at them, making the tour group**

**laugh harder. **

**"****I never in my life laughed this hard." gasped Suki.**

**"****You better *snorts* get used to it." Ian managed to croak out.**

**Azula was the first to regain her composure. She agreed with Suki, never in her life she laughed just the sake of it. She was always laughing at someone, to intimidate them. Here, she was laughing as if there was no tomorrow, for her own pleasure.**

**"****Ok, let me show you the rest of the Temple."**

**Ian lend a hand to Azula, she was about to refuse it when a moment back in the nut house came fresh into her memory,**

**_"_****_Why do you keep pushing people away Azula!" _**

**_Azula stared at the wall, she didn't care much for the visitor. _**

**_"_****_Talk to me Azula please. I only want to help." the visitor begged._**

**_"_****_Why should I, people don't want to help, they want to use me as a pawn for their darn mind game!" Azula hissed._**

**_Silence._**

**_"_****_My dear Azula, I love you, I really do. Your father uses everyone for his ruthless stupid mind game, but not everyone is like him, some people want to help you gain back what you had before and maybe even more."_**

**"****Azula!"**

**Azula looked up, she didn't realize that she zoned out. Ian, Suki, Sokka and another Air Bender stood over her.**

**"****Do you need some water?" the monk asked.**

**"****No, I'm fine, I just…never mind." Azula mumbled.**

**Ian extended his hand and she took it, hoping her mother was right. He lifted her up and grinned, the light glinting off his silver eyes. **

**"****Can you continue?"**

**"****Yes, I'm fine." Azula brushed him off.**

**Ian cocked an eyebrow and escorted the small group through the hallway. **

**"****And this is the dining room, we have three square meals a day, breakfast is from 7 to 9, lunch from 12 to 2 and dinner a from 5 to 7. Ian walked into the empty dining hall and opened a door at his left. It led to, what Azula perceived, as a training area.**

**"****This is the training area, you can come here whenever you like, except during the lessons, which are usually before breakfast, after lunch, and before dinner. This is the arena where we spar or teach."**

**Sokka was bouncing from one leg to another,**

**"****Can we check this out?"**

**"****Sure, but I will continue the tour unless," Ian turned to Azula, "You want to join them."**

**"****No thanks, I'd rather see the rest of this place." **

**Ian nodded.**

**"****Alright, but…"**

**Before Ian could finish his sentence, Sokka and Suki ran off towards the parkour.**

**"****I guess that just leaves you."**

**Azula raised her eyebrows questioning his meaning. Ian tapped his chin and smiled.**

**"****Let me show you something."**

**He offered his hand and Azula hesitantly took it. Without warning he shot forward in an unnatural speed dragging Azula behind him.**

**"****Ahhhh!" She shrieked.**

**Ian slowed down and Azula barely managed to hold her balance. **

**"****Sorry." he apologized rubbing the back of his neck.**

**Azula glared at him.**

**"****That is why I have trust issues." She muttered under her breathe. **

**Ian smiled sheepishly. He led steaming Azula to a giant rock, then he took out his glider. **

**"****This will require Air Bending…"**

**"****NO THANK YOU!" **

**Ian was stunned.**

**"****Ok? But how are you…"**

**Without another word, Azula stomped her foot onto the ground and blue fire erupted from all her limbs. Immediately, she propelled herself through the air to the top of the **

**10 foot tall boulder. Ian gaped, so that is where Min thought up her idea of propelling through the air, it was originally a fire bending move. He shouldn't be surprised, she adapted most of her moves from Fire Bending. Ian bit his lip and jumped after Azula.**

**Azula gracefully landed on the boulder, carefully absorbing her surroundings. The sight left her in a daze. It was the Air Temple but she could see it at a different angle. Instead of the majestic towers she saw before, Azula was looking into its grounds. She spotted the training spots, the rolling grassy hills, and the small buildings doted the grounds.**

**"****Isn't it delightful." **

**Azula glanced at Ian. He was standing within a foot from her and she could see all of his features clearly; Straight nose, strong chin, slightly inward slanted silver eyes, a tall forehead and his recognizable blue arrow tattoos. She wandered what it was like to get a tattoo. Where did it start and end? Was it painful or did they get drugged beforehand? Ian noticed Azula staring at him, he barely concealed his blush. When Azula turned away, he started watching her. She had olive shaped molten gold eyes, pale skin, **

**jet black hair, bow shaped pink lips and a small delicate nose. He could also sense her spirit, it was all cracked. He could detect her pain, her fear, her closed-in personality, her lack of trust and desperation to find friendship and love. Ian turned away, she was the most damaged person he'd ever met. Ian remembered how she laughed at the names of the Monk and at the fruit pies, he could see that simple pleasures like fun**

**was new to her. **

**"****So, how are our love birds?"**

**Both Azula and Ian whirled around to find a smirking Min and her giggling tour group. Katara snickered and Aang gave them a knowing smile. Azula's face turned white with anger and Ian's turned red in embarrassment.**

**"****It's not what you think." he immediately defended himself.**

**Min shook her head. **

**"****Really, explain why you two were standing side by side watching each other like love sick teenagers." Min mocked. **

**"****WE WERE NOT!" Azula hollered **

**"****Min," Ian calmly stated, "You know the rules, I cannot. Anyways, I wasn't looking at her, I was looking at the landscape to my left."**

**Min snorted. **

**"****Wow…" Katara and Aang trailed off.**

**"****I know, the view is amazing, that is why I brought you guys here."**

**"****Wait, where is Sokka and Suki?" Aang asked.**

**"****I pushed them off a cliff." Azula rolled her eyes. **

**Aang and Katara frowned at her.**

**"****They decided to play in the training area." Ian said nonchalantly.**

**"****Typical warrior, always training." Min mimicked Ian.**

**Ian growled at her. **

**"****I thought the Air Nomads were peaceful?" Sokka commented.**

**Everyone gasped and found Sokka and Suki beaming at them.**

**"****H…how?" Katara stuttered.**

**"****We have our ways." Suki smirked. **

**"****Well, are you going to answer my question?" asked Sokka.**

**"****Sibling quarrels don't count dum-dum." Min grumbled as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.**

**Ian looked as if he was about to strangle her. **

**"****You don't call guests names, Min, apologize immediately!" Ian seethed.**

**"****Nope, you can't make me."**

**"****Yes I can!"**

**"****DO IT." challenged Min, "Or are you too baby."**

**Ian felt his calm and peaceful composure snap.**

**"****FINE, AFTER TOMORROW AT 6, SPARRING, DON"T BE LATE!"**

**Ian marched off. **

**"****I didn't think he'd do that." Min was thunderstruck.**

**"****Was that a declaration of an Agni Kai but for Air Benders?" asked Azula.**

**"****Yup, I have a feeling I made the worst mistake in my life." Min shrugged, "Whatever, I sparred with him before, shouldn't be any different." **

**"****Come on," She waved, "it's time for lunch anyways and after Ian cools down, he will finish your tours, our group finished already."**

**"****Katara?" Aang whispered.**

** "****Yeah?"**

**"****Meet me here after lunch." Aang whispered.**

**"****All right," Katara wandered what Aang was up to.**


End file.
